1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates to a string post for a musical instrument and, more particularly, to a musical instrument string post which maximizes the string pressure on the instrument nut.
2. Description of the Prior Art.
In a conventional stringed instrument, such as a guitar, bass and the like, a plurality of strings extend from a bridge, across the instrument body, and over a neck to the head of the instrument. At the end of the neck, the strings pass through grooves in a nut positioned at the intersection of the neck and the head and are then wrapped around a plurality of string posts connected to the head. A typical string post extends perpendicular to the instrument head and is adapted to be rotated manually to tighten the string wrapped therearound. Rotation of the string post changes the pitch of the string, permitting tuning of the instrument.
In such an instrument, it is important that each string be held down firmly in its associated groove in the instrument nut. In cases where this is not done, several problems are presented. Initially, if the string is not held firmly in the groove in the nut, it can literally jump out of the groove during playing of the instrument and this would, among other things, change the pitch of the string. Secondly, since the tone sustaining capability of a string is a direct function of the rigidity of its end point connections, the ability of the string to move in the groove in the nut, the nut defining one end point connection, substantially reduces the tone sustaining capability of the string below the level which is theoretically obtainable.
In most instruments, no effort is made to increase the pressure between each string and the nut over that obtainable simply by extending the string between the instrument bridge and the string post. In some instruments, buttons or other attachments are connected to the instrument head and the strings engage such attachments between the nut and the string posts so that the strings are held close to the instrument head. While this increases the pressure between the strings and the nut, there is not always sufficient room to use such attachments and they add an additional expense to the instrument. While the string posts themselves have the capability of substantially affecting the pressure between the strings and the instrument nut, no attempts have been made heretofore to take advantage of this capability.